List: Zeldaskeeper, IHeartSonAmy, XoxoSonamy4440oxoX, Therapy Angel, Sonic5521, and Silverdawn2010!

AHG. This took way too long. I've had the idea for a while, but it never turned out right 'till today. Anyway, thanks for those who are still reviewing! I'll see if I can start updating this more regularly now…Anyway, onwards, march!

Chapter twenty-one

Shooting Star

If Rose had to narrow down all the pleasures in her life, the four year old would probably say ice cream, family, and swings.

And she had all three of them right now. She had a vanilla ice cream cone Uncle Tails had just bought her, she had her aunt, uncle, and whole blood-family, and she was in the park on her favorite swing.

Bliss. That's how she would describe it, if only she knew the word. Happily, the child licked her ice cream steadily, her muzzle covered in the white stuff people called ice cream, although she had debated before with her father why a person would call it ice cream when it wasn't ice or cream.

The toddler felt the world was at peace as she watched her father race Flash, as she watched Nick talk engineering with Tails, as she watched Violet and Kyler act like five year olds themselves as they climbed up the slides. And she giggled, because she loved these moments, when Flash wasn't annoying her, when Nick opened up, when Kyler actually howled in laughter and Violet acted like her crazy-self. She licked her cone again, sighing happily as her feet barely managed to touch the ground and shift her swing slightly.

A movement in the swing next to her made the child turn, and she smiled at seeing her aunt.

"Hi Aunt Tia," the child said cheerfully. She waved with her free hand, giggling. Tia smiled.

"Hey, honey," she answered happily. "You looked like you could use some company." The child nodded, turning back to the scene in front of her, listening to the laughter in the summer air.

"I like summer days," Rose stated.

"Because that's when roses are in full bloom?" Tia teased, and Rose giggled.

"No," she answered, "I like 'em 'cause then everyone is happy. There ain't no worries."

"Aren't no worries," Tia corrected, but she smiled. "Yes. Summer means fewer days of stress, huh?"

"Stress?"

"Stress is an emotion that appears when a person has too much things going in their lives. And they usually act mad and yell more, too."

"Oh." Rose took a bite of her cone's bottom, sucking the ice cream out from the bottom. A habit of hers. "Yeah. Daddy an' Mommy seem happier over summer. An' Kywer too."

"They don't have as much to worry about."

"Yes," the toddler replied, and she turned to her aunt, smiling. "Everything 'bout summer is nice." The aunt smiled.

"What's your favorite part?" she questioned, wanting the conversation to continue.

"You can see shooting stars," the child said wistfully, and she looked up. "Even during the day. If you see one during the day, Violet says it means good luck." Tia blinked, confused.

"You've seen shooting stars during the day?" she asked. "I never have, and I'm older!" The child laughed.

"Wow!" she quipped. "I see 'em all the time. There goes one now!" Pointing up, the child's finger followed the cloud-line of an airplane, thousands of feet above the earth.

"But…that's an airplane," Tia corrected, hoping she wasn't crushing her niece's daydreams.

"I know," the hedgehog replied back, not sounding the least bit hurt nor surprised. "But it's also a shooting star, and it means good luck. Kyler says so."

"I thought Violet said so." The fox was still trying to understand the concept.

"Violet said so first. And now Kyler agrees." Rose stuffed the rest of her ice cream cone in her mouth, smacking her lips and licking her fingers. "Kyler also says that Uncle Tails brings luck, because sometimes we see the shooting star of the Tornado III." This time, Tia laughed, understanding the notion just enough to think how cute this whole conversation was.

"Well, he is a very amazing fox," Tia agreed, grinning at the little girl. "If he brings luck, does that mean he's lucky?"

"Yeah," Rose replied. "He's lucky 'cause he's got two tails, and he's got you."

"Me?" The older of the two was flattered.

"Uh-huh. He was very lucky to get you." Rose got up from her seat on the swing then, and before Tia could protest, she hugged the fox. Tia hugged back, elated.

"Love you too," the fox laughed, her mind on shooting stars and luck. "Love you too."